Seldom do films achieve the delicate balance of humor and serious commentary. Kudos, then, to The Big Sick, a funny, sweet character study steeped in cultural issues. Kumail [coo mel] Nanjiani is a stand-up comedian who drives for Uber. One night during his routine at the Comedy Club, Emily interrupts. Thus begins a relationship Kumail hides from his traditional Pakistani parents.

Meantime Kumail's mother Sharmeen works tirelessly to arrange a marriage, what, as Kumail says, we call "romance." Though born in Pakistan, Kumail has grown up in Chicago and has assimilated quite well; for example, he doesn't pray as a Muslim should as he comically demonstrates in one scene. But honors his heritage, loves his parents, and doesn't want to disrespect them with confrontation. When, as the title signals, Emily sustains a serious illness, the various elements Kumail has juggled so dexterously will collide.

In the course of developments, several important cultural issues and stereotypes will be explored, along with refreshing gender portrayals; that is, Emily has a strong, appealing personality and Kumail isn't an unemotional clown. Both have depth and appeal; they seem a couple meant for each other because they click.

Director Michael Showalter doesn't rush or hype the comedy, meaning it lands with full impact as ironic and offbeat comments register, often followed by reaction shots that increase the humor. It's a wonderful change from the gross out jokes and slapstick too pervasive today. Here clever dialogue, presented so naturally and low key, pulls us in. Credit this to real-life couple Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani who wrote the script, based roughly on the first year of their relationship.

Bringing their wonderful story to life is Kumail as himself, known to many from HBO's Silicon Valley. As Emily, Zoe Kazan brings an enviable energy and presence to the scenes. As her parents, Holly Hunter and Ray Romano add gravity during the hospital stay, but keep the mood from becoming gloomy, no mean feat. As Kumail's parents, Zenobia Shroff and Anupam Kher, a legendary Bollywood actor, are dignified and comedic, a great achievement in a study of ethnic difference.

Fans of Sam Elliott will line up to see him star in The Hero. For the Sam Elliott Fan Club, the film offers plenty of views of his push broom mustache, the envy of miners throughout Silesia, and of his lanky length, plus the exhilarating sound of that bass voice.

However, The Hero offers less in terms of plot. There's not much new in a story about a film star reduced to recording voice-overs for commercials. For cowboy Lee Hayden, that commercial is for barbecue sauce, and he has to deliver his line over and over and maintain his patience. His agent announces that Lee is to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Western Appreciation and Preservation Guild. Goody.

Lee's doctor announces something almost as deadly. So now, the cowboy has to do some lifetime totaling. He has to consider how he's going to make amends with his daughter since he was never there when she needed him.

Luckily, his neighbor sells marijuana, the "devil's lettuce," so Lee is able to take the edge off his life. Still, it's daunting. To his family, he announces, "I have some news for you," but the news is that he's making a movie, not that he's facing his closing credits.

The good news about The Hero is Elliott, who wears this role like a pair of good leather chaps. Equal to him is Nick Offerman as his weed-whacking neighbor and former co-star. Katharine Ross, from The Graduate, plays Lee's ex-wife easily as she's been Elliott's wife for 32 years. Krysten Ritter raises the small role of Lee's daughter to greater heights, but it's Laura Prepon from That '70s Show, who energizes her role as the new, young woman in Lee's life.

Brett Haley directed The Hero (not Lee's signature film but this one). Haley co-wrote the script with Marc Basch, leaving lots of silence as befits a cowboy of few words. The Hero is a satisfying story if an old one. No surprises but a lot of sympathies.

Romanian director Cristian Mungiu's film Graduation opens on an old, ugly, concrete housing complex as a stone is thrown through Dr. Romeo Aldea's front window in his very modest apartment. To say this signals immediately and forcefully that all is not well understates the situation. Dr. Aldea drops doted-on daughter Eliza at her school while he liaisons with his lover.

Preparing to take her final exams on which her British university scholarship depends, eighteen-year-old Eliza is attacked from behind. At the hospital, the following conversation makes clear that citizens manage their lives through pulling strings and exerting influence on individuals they know, which means payback is expected. Thus begins a spiraling descent through corruption, lies, and betrayal on a very personal level for the family and in the public arena where quiet deal-making holds sway. Though more than once Aldea hears, "We have rules," these rules parade as mere window dressing while in the back room, calmly and systematically, arrangements develop: a man needs a liver transplant, a daughter needs a passing grade. I help you now, you help me later. As cheating versus fairness is debated, we also hear "Some important steps in life depend on small decisions." Indeed, choices come with unanticipated consequences.

Throughout events, no atmospheric music intrudes, though opera that occasionally emanates from a radio makes a strong impression. So too do the long takes as screenwriter Mungiu, with a deft touch, allows unadorned scenes of dialogue to reveal characters. Visually, cramped spaces convey the claustrophobia and entrapment of life in post-Ceausescu Romania, while explicit statements and metaphors explore the philosophical and emotional impact of compromising one's values.

As Dr. Aldea, Adrian Titieni seems to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders, just as he does for the film since he is in every scene. The entire cast creates a cohesive group, immersing us realistically in their lives. This poignant journey into Aldea's heart and soul is one well worth taking. Graduation has won numerous prestigious awards. In Romanian with English subtitles. At Landmark's Plaza Frontenac Cinema.